


Stem of Envy

by Anonymous



Category: Ragnatela
Genre: Adoption, Character Death, Funerals, Infertility, Religious Guilt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:54:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27159619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Super short! Takes place during the Chapter: The Funeral of Patience Winslow but from the POV of Emilie Marks
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5
Collections: Anonymous Fics





	Stem of Envy

Mrs. Marks’ was busy playing hostess, and though Marilyn couldn’t see it, the woman kept looking over at her painfully, desperate to reach out and comfort her. Mrs. Marks had wanted to be a mother above all else in the world, and she held in her frustration when her husband had said “Maybe it’s not part of God’s plan.”

She considered herself religious, she had to be as the wife of a pastor, but deep down she wished she could be as flawed as their congregation. There were days when Emilie didn’t want to be a role model, and instead just wanted to be human. She wanted to cry more than just once in front of her husband about how miserable it was to not be able to have a child. Emilie was jealous of Patience, who never seemed to appreciate the beautiful little girl she had. She didn’t understand what Patience did to earn such a steadfast and loyal daughter. Emilie couldn’t curb the stem of envy weeding into her as she saw Patience take Marilyn home after church.

 _Now, now you have Marilyn._ Emilie was sick for the first few days after Patience’s suicide. She was filled with guilt as she believed she had caused it herself with her ill wishes and fervent jealousy, but she was a mere mortal and such things were not in her control. She kept reminding herself of that, partly for the role of a pastor’s wife and another part to absolve her from the sense of guilt. _Marilyn is perfect. She’s my baby._ The woman couldn’t help but attach herself to the child, who was reluctant, but in time she felt would love her too. Marilyn already sought her for comfort when she felt the need and desire to do so, and that small gesture breathed new life and joy into Emilie.

That joy was compromised by the appearance of a Mr. Sawyer, who claimed to represent the father of the child. The father, in question, lived in Italy and wanted to “joyously fill and act in his role as her father”. The birth certificate backed up his claim, and although he lived in a different country, Mr. Sawyer was certain that a judge would side with the biological father over them. Or at least the one Mr. Sawyer talked to. He had come yesterday to state his intention to take their girl and revealed he was the one who was thwarting their attempts to permanently make Marilyn a part of their family.

Jonathan hated lawyers, or in his words “severely disapproved of their attitude towards their work”, but that was his pastoral code for hate. It wouldn’t do for the town’s pastor to openly hate a person, not when he was supposed to be an all-loving man. For the first time in several years, Jonathan had lost his temper. _“That man is a monster! If you think that I’d let that innocent little girl fall into the hands of a demon that even the Devil himself would reject out of repulsion, then you’ re-,”_ but he never finished.

Mr. Sawyer was as cunning as the serpent who deceived Eve, leading Adam into ruin. Sawyer was a “big city” lawyer and the poor portly Mr. Holmes, their attorney, was much too soft to fight against him at that moment. The end of the conversation left an uneasy feeling in her gut and the growing fear that they wouldn’t have Marilyn for much longer.


End file.
